Many dishes acquire an interesting and peculiar shade due to the presence of prunes in them. And the combination of sweetness with this sour, slightly smoked taste of dense and fleshy berries gives royal splendor to a wide variety of confectionery.
Prune Cake - General Cooking Principles
Prunes in cake recipes are used quite widely. It is a touch complementing the sweet and delicate structure of the cake, working in contrast.
There are few recommendations for making prune cakes. It is used for the preparation of creams, fruit layer, cakes. Depending on the plan of the confectioner, the berries can be crushed to a puree state, cut into slices, and straws. The main thing is compliance with the compatibility of texture and ingredients.
Recipe 1. Cake with prunes "Little Prince"
Composition:
For shortcakes:
• 125 grams - sugar;
• 250 grams - sour cream;
• 400 grams - flour;
• 50 grams - cocoa;
• 5 grams - soda;
• 5 grams - citric acid;
• 20 grams - water (for quenching).
For cream:
• 280 grams - oil;
• 380 grams - boiled condensed milk;
• 200 grams - prunes;
• Vanillin to taste.
For the glaze:
• 200 grams - dark chocolate;
To decorate:
• 200 grams - peanuts;
• 20 grams - coconut flakes.
Order of preparation:
Cooking cakes.
Combine sugar with sour cream. Sift flour with cocoa into sweet sour cream. To extinguish soda with citric acid dissolved in water. Knead a cool dough, but soft.
Divide the resulting dough into twelve parts. Parchment paper to close the bottom of the form. Preheat the oven to two hundred degrees.
In turn, thinly roll out 12 parts on parchment, in shape. Bake in the oven for about three minutes.
Cream.
We grind previously soaked prunes in a blender. Beat butter until white. Add boiled condensed milk to the oil in small parts. At the end of whipping, combine the cream mass with crushed prunes.
Formation.
Lubricate cakes with cream with prunes. We put it in the refrigerator for about thirty minutes. Meanwhile, not very finely chopped roasted peanuts. Melt the chocolate in a water bath.
Fill the cake with icing evenly. We distribute peanuts on the rim. Top with coconut flakes. We return to the refrigerator for another sixty minutes.
Recipe 2. Snowball prune cake
Composition:
On cake:
• 150 ml - water;
• 75 grams - butter;
• 230 grams - flour;
• 3 pcs. - eggs;
• 5 grams - salt.
On cream:
Cream number 1.
• 200 grams - condensed milk;
• 220 grams - butter;
• 180 grams - dark chocolate;
• 150 grams - prunes;
• Add vanilla if desired.
Cream number 2.
• 250 ml - cream of confectionery (not less than 25% fat content);
• 5 grams - cream stabilizer.
To decorate:
• 150 grams - prunes;
• 25 grams - chocolate chips.
Order of preparation:
Cooking cakes.
Bring the water to a boil, salt and add butter. Insert the sifted flour into boiling water with vigorous stirring. Brew so that the dough "departs" from the walls of the container. Leave to cool to 40 - 50 degrees. Add the eggs, then knead the dough until smooth.
We fill the pastry bag with dough. We attach a large nozzle. For this operation we use an asterisk. On a baking sheet covered with parchment, squeeze the dough out of the bag in a spiral so that the distance in between is approximately 1.5 - 2 cm. The total diameter of the spiral circle should be no more than 22 cm. Change the nozzle to a medium-sized “star”. Squeeze out the remaining dough in the form of sticks, not more than 3 cm long, from the bag.
Put bake in a preheated oven. Bake at 220 degrees for ten minutes. After, reduce the temperature to 180 degrees Celsius, and leave to bake until cooked.
Cream number 1.
Grind steamed prunes with a blender.
Take the softened butter, and beat until a white consistency, then add the condensed milk. Melt the chocolate. Add it to the total mass with crushed prunes. Mix until smooth with a mixer.
Cream number 2.
Beat cream with stabilizer until stable peaks.
Formation.
We fill the round spiral and sticks with cream No. 1 with a pastry bag using a long and thin nozzle.
In the middle using a pastry bag we form a small cone of cream No. 2.
On a cone, from whipped cream, carefully spread the sticks filled with cream No. 1.
Garnish over the cake with the remaining cream No. 2, in the shape of curly peaks, and distribute the prunes between them. Rub on top with chocolate. Cool.
Recipe 3. Truffle cake with prunes "Venice"
Composition:
For cake:
• 150 grams - flour;
• 150 grams - sugar;
• 2 pcs. - eggs;
• 10 grams - baking powder;
• 120 grams - cocoa;
• 90 ml - milk;
• 110 ml - boiling water;
• 50 grams - vegetable oil;
• Sugar vanilla to taste.
For cream:
• 400 grams - dark chocolate;
• 500 ml - cream confectionery 50%;
• 50 ml - rum;
• 300 grams - prunes.
To decorate:
• 20 grams - cocoa;
• 3 pcs. - prunes;
• ¾ parts of the walnut kernel;
• 50 grams - milk chocolate chips;
• A couple of fresh mint leaves;
• 5 grams - powdered sugar.
Order of preparation:
Cooking cake.
In the capacity of the multicooker, mix sugar with eggs, then with butter. Pour milk, mix until smooth.
Sift flour together with baking powder and cocoa. After adding boiling water to the multicooker, set the baking mode for 45 minutes.
We get ready cake and let it cool.
Crumble the cooled cake.
Cream.
Steam the prunes for 20 minutes.
Boil the confectionery cream and set aside. Melt chocolate chips in warm cream. Beat 5 to 10 minutes. Put in the refrigerator for an hour.
Squeeze out the dried prunes and dry on a napkin. Cut it into strips.
Add rum to the chilled cream and beat for another 10 minutes, enriching with oxygen.
Mix the third part of the cream with prunes.
Formation.
Gently mix the third part of the cream with prunes with the crumbs from the cooked cake. Take a detachable shape about 28 cm in size, close the bottom with parchment, having previously cut out the elements according to its size.
Spread the mixture of crust cake and cream with prune evenly and firmly. The remaining cream is also evenly distributed over the surface of the resulting base. Leave in the refrigerator for a day, covered with cling film.
After the cake has hardened, sieve cocoa over it with a sieve.
Melt the chocolate. Place the walnut kernel in the prunes. Put the prunes stuffed with the kernel of the nut on a plate and pour over the chocolate. Allow to freeze. After sprinkle lightly with icing sugar.
Place prunes in the center or edge of the cake, garnishing with a few mint leaves.
Recipe 4. Mood cake with prunes
Composition:
• 800 grams - 9% cottage cheese;
• 350 grams - fat sour cream;
• 300 grams - prunes;
• 250 grams - sugar;
• 250 ml - milk;
• 50 grams - gelatin;
• Vanilla optional.
To decorate:
• Whipped cream;
• 5 pieces. - prunes;
• 20 grams - chocolate;
• 20 grams - coconut flakes.
Order of preparation:
Steam prunes for 15 minutes.
Beat cottage cheese with sour cream until smooth, in a blender or food processor.
Soak gelatin in a small portion of milk. The rest of the milk is brought to a boil by adding sugar. In a milk cooled to room temperature with sugar, we introduce a gelatin mixture.
We combine sweet milk with gelatin with prunes and curd, leaving about 100 ml. Beat thoroughly again.
Cut prunes into halves.
Distribute half the curd mass in a detachable form. Evenly distribute halves of prunes in a circle, distribute the remaining mass.
Spread prunes cut in half in diameter. Pour the rest of the milk. Put it in the refrigerator for two hours.
Remove the finished cake from the mold. Randomly decorate the sides and side with whipped cream, grated chocolate and coconut.
Recipe 5. Cake with prunes "Lucciano"
Composition:
For cake:
• 2 pcs. - eggs;
• 150 grams - sugar;
• 50 grams - cocoa;
• 380 grams - condensed milk;
• 200 grams - sour cream;
• 300 grams - flour;
• 5 grams - soda;
• 50 ml - freshly squeezed lemon juice;
• 5 grams - salt.
For syrup:
• 20 grams - sugar or 1 tablespoon;
• 60 ml - water.
For cream:
Cream number 1.
• 180 grams - butter;
• 300 grams - condensed milk;
• 50 grams - cocoa;
• Vanillin to taste;
• 200 grams - steamed prunes.
Cream number 2.
• 300 ml - sour cream;
• 100 grams - powdered sugar;
• 15 grams - gelatin;
• 50 ml - water;
• Vanillin to taste.
To decorate:
• Whipped cream;
• Chocolate chips.
Order of preparation:
Cooking cakes.
Beat sugar with salt and eggs. Mix sour cream, condensed milk, sift flour and cocoa into the resulting mixture. Having extinguished soda with lemon juice, add it to the dough. Mix thoroughly until smooth.
In the prepared split mold, distribute the dough and bake at 200 degrees.
Cool without removing from the mold. Ready cake divided into 3 layers.
Cream number 1.
Combine butter, cocoa powder and condensed milk, whipping cream with a mixer. Add vanillin. Cut prunes in half and set aside, until the cake is formed.
Cream number 2.
Dissolve gelatin in water.
Beat sour cream with icing sugar until a light foam with small bubbles is obtained. Add vanillin and gelatin, continue whisking for a few more minutes.
Syrup.
Dissolve sugar in water, cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Let cool.
Formation.
Soak the cakes in syrup. Lubricate all three layers of cake with cream No. 1, distributing prunes between them. Transfer to detachable form. Pour cream No. 2. Leave for a couple of hours to solidify.
After carefully open the form and put it on the cake stand. Garnish on the sides with chocolate chips, and on top randomly whip cream.
Recipe 6. Cake with prunes "Englishman"
Composition:
For cake:
• 340 grams - pitted prunes;
• 600 ml - coffee;
• 280 grams - flour;
• 10 grams - baking powder;
• 5 grams - soda;
• 220 grams - oil;
• 220 grams - sugar;
• 3 pcs. - eggs;
• 200 ml - milk.
For cream:
• 280 grams - oil;
• 380 grams - condensed milk;
• 180 grams - dark chocolate;
• 250 grams - prunes.
To decorate:
• 100 grams - almond plates;
• 100 grams - white chocolate.
Order of preparation:
Cooking cakes.
Place the prunes in brewed coffee and boil. Remove from heat and insist another 15 minutes. Drain coffee through a colander. Grind prunes with a blender.
Preheat the oven to two hundred and twenty degrees. Grate the two baking dishes with a small piece of butter and lightly crush with flour.
Sift and mix flour with baking powder into a suitable container. In a separate bowl, mix the prune puree with milk.
Beat soft butter until creamy white. Then continue beating with the addition of eggs to a uniform consistency, adding prune puree in small portions. After mixing the mixture of flour and baking powder.
Divide the dough evenly into two forms. Bake for 35 minutes. If necessary, reduce the oven heat to 190 degrees and extend the baking time.
Check for readiness with a toothpick.
We take out cakes from the mold after complete cooling.
Cream.
Beat butter with condensed milk and chocolate heated in a water bath. Cut prunes, and mix with bulk. Leave in the refrigerator for an hour.
Formation.
Grind white chocolate. Lubricate the cakes with cream. Garnish with almond nuts on top and crumbs of white chocolate on the sides.
Recipe 7. Cake with prune "Baby"
Composition:
• 8 pcs. - thin pancakes;
• 350 grams - cottage cheese;
• 250 grams - prunes;
• 150 grams - raisins;
• 50 grams - coconut flakes;
• 200 grams - sugar;
• 100 grams - white chocolate;
• 1000 grams - sour cream;
• 20 grams - gelatin;
• Vanillin to taste.
To decorate:
• 50 grams - chocolate;
• Mint leaves;
• Whipped cream.
Order of preparation:
Rinse prunes and raisins (separately), then pour boiling water. Drain after 15 minutes. Put gelatin to swell.
Beat cottage cheese with sugar (0.100 grams) and sour cream (0.250 grams). Cut the chocolate into small pieces. Add raisins to one half of the curd and mix the other with chocolate and coconut (0.025 grams). Prune cut lengthwise, in half.
Divide the cottage cheese mass with raisins into 4 pancakes, and coconut flakes and chocolate into others. Distribute the curd mass around the circumference of the pancakes. In the middle, along, divide and lay out halves of prunes, then wrap them in a tube.
Put the twisted pancakes in a detachable form in a spiral. Melt gelatin heating in a water bath. Beat the rest of the sour cream with sugar and melted gelatin.
Pour into the form. Set to harden for at least three hours.
Melt the chocolate in the microwave, make a cone from parchment. Fill with melted chocolate. Lay out mint leaves on the prune cake, then randomly squeeze the melted chocolate in a thin stream.
Heat the knife in boiling water, draw around. Open the form and carefully place on the stand. Decorate the sides of the cake with coconut.
Recipe 8. Cake with prunes "Pyramid of Echiopsis"
Composition:
On the cookie dough "Nuts":
• 250 grams - oil;
• 400 grams - flour;
• 120 grams - sour cream;
• 125 grams - sugar;
• 10 grams - slaked soda with lemon juice.
On cake:
• 150 grams - liquid or melted honey;
• 5 pieces. - eggs;
• 200 grams - flour;
• 100 grams - oil;
• 2 grams - citric acid;
• Vanillin to taste.
On cream:
Cream No. 1 (for "Nuts").
• 0.380 grams - boiled condensed milk;
• 0.150 grams - oil;
• 0.250 grams - roasted peanuts;
• 0.250 grams - dried prunes;
• Baby from Nuts.
Cream number 2.
• 0.500 grams - cottage cheese;
• 0,300 grams - cream;
• 0.120 grams - honey.
On syrup:
• 0.110 grams - sugar;
• 0.280 ml of water.
To decorate:
• 0.120 grams - dark chocolate.
Order of preparation:
Cooking "Nuts" cookies.
Mix all the ingredients until smooth. It should be soft dough and not stick to your hands.
Heat a special pan for baking "Nuts". Roll the dough with balls, approximately 2 cm in diameter. The "Nuts" baking dish may vary, so you need to adjust the size of the balls during cooking.
When all the "shells" have baked, carefully treat the edges. Put the crumbs in a separate bowl.
Cooking cakes.
Separate the yolks from the proteins. Add citric acid to proteins. Beat to steady peaks at high speed. When the whites are well beaten, add the melted honey in small portions.
Beat the yolks white with butter. Combine with proteins. Sift the flour into the resulting mass, and again gently mix.
A square baking sheet measuring 30x30 cm, grate with oil and cover the bottom with parchment paper. Spread the dough evenly. Put bake in a preheated oven to 180 degrees, for ten minutes.
Allow to cool, then separate the parchment paper from the cake. Cut the crust with a cross.
Syrup.
Pour water into the bucket and add sugar. Heat to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Cool.
Cream number 1.
Rinse prunes under running water and dry. Scroll prunes through a meat grinder. Grind peanuts in a blender or combine.
Beat condensed milk with butter.Add ground peanuts, chopped prunes and crumbs left over from the Nuts. Mix well.
Cream number 2.
Mix cottage cheese, cream and honey with a blender to a uniform, smooth consistency. Leave in refrigerator for 45 minutes.
Formation.
Submerge the nutshells in syrup for three minutes. Fill with cream number 1.
Spread "Nuts" in the form of a pyramid (in the form of a cone), coat each layer between the nuts with cream No. 2.
Soak the cake, cut into four identical triangles, with the remaining syrup and put on the sides of the cone. Also gently grease with cream.
Dissolve chocolate in a steam bath. Make a “cornet”, fill it with chocolate and decorate the cake by drawing bricks.
Recipe 9. Cake with prunes "Mullen Rouge"
Composition:
For cake:
• 3 pcs. - eggs;
• 0.080 grams - sugar;
• 0.125 grams - flour;
• Vanilla to taste.
On cream:
• 0.250 grams - confectionery cream (36%);
• 0.002 grams - stabilizer for confectionery cream;
• 0.120 grams - dried prunes;
• 0,100 grams - almonds.
To decorate:
• 0.400 grams - meringues.
Order of preparation:
Cooking cake.
Squirrels separate from the yolks. Beat the chilled proteins in a clean and dry bowl. In another bowl, beat the yolks by combining them with sugar and vanilla. We combine both egg masses and carefully, through a sieve, sift flour into beaten eggs, while mixing the dough with a spoon. We spread the dough in a prepared detachable form and put in a heated oven up to 180 degrees. Bake the cake without opening the oven until it is ready. We take out the finished biscuit from the mold after cooling.
Cream.
Beat the cream to steady peaks by adding a fixer. If desired, add amaretto fragrance to the cream. Gently mix the creamy mass with almond flakes and small chips of dried prunes.
Formation.
The cooled biscuit is soaked in syrup cake. We spread alternately a layer of meringues and a layer of cream with almonds and prunes. Top layer - meringues.
Prune Cake - Tips and Tricks
• Using nuts for baking, it is necessary to dry or fry them in a preheated pan or in an oven. You can store nuts for a long time in a tightly closed container, on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.
• Bake sponge cakes until a blush forms.
• Do not allow the oven to open while baking a biscuit dough. It is important to bake a biscuit over medium heat. Check the readiness of the cakes with a wooden skewer or a toothpick.
• Do not rush to remove the biscuit from the mold until it cools down: a hot biscuit may settle. To make the cake better move away from the bottom of the mold, place it on a wet surface.
• For vegetarians: agar aroma can replace gelatin.
• For people with diabetes: replace sugar with fructose.
• It is very convenient to use oiled parchment paper or foil for baking: the dough is much easier to remove from the mold and you do not have to clean the dishes for a long time after baking.
• Squirrels are best whipped chilled.
• When whipping proteins, add a pinch of citric acid, or a couple drops of lemon juice.
• Use salt to beat the yolks.
• Even in sweet dough to improve the taste you should always add a little salt.
• Using your favorite recipes, you can take them as a basis. No need to be afraid of improvisation. The exception is only some of the technological processes for the preparation of creams and biscuit: here you need accurate adherence to the recipe.
Sweet to you life!
